On this vein, once you have actually focused on one subject, and you've somewhat proven a point on an issue, especially if it disproves what they initially thought it's worth asking something like 'how come when we talk about stuff like this what you've learned from just skimming newspaper articles is taken as concrete fact while I have to cite sources like I'm writing a fucking essay?'
That can sometimes get them thinking about what else they might have just accepted without any question.
Yeah I mean you're never gonna convince someone single handed that what they believe about their country is a tissue paper collage of lies, half truths and memory holed events but you might get them to think a bit more critically come the next 'oh my god look at what these crafty forrins are up to better bomb their cities' bullshit.
On this vein, once you have actually focused on one subject, and you've somewhat proven a point on an issue, especially if it disproves what they initially thought it's worth asking something like 'how come when we talk about stuff like this what you've learned from just skimming newspaper articles is taken as concrete fact while I have to cite sources like I'm writing a fucking essay?'
That can sometimes get them thinking about what else they might have just accepted without any question.
Yes, this is a good strategy!
Yeah I mean you're never gonna convince someone single handed that what they believe about their country is a tissue paper collage of lies, half truths and memory holed events but you might get them to think a bit more critically come the next 'oh my god look at what these crafty forrins are up to better bomb their cities' bullshit.
At minimum you can shake their confidence that they can support their opinions when talking to you. That has a lot of great knock-on effects.